Carl Milles
Covered by droit de suite
Image rights
The artworks in this database are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the permission of the rights holders. The artworks are reproduced in this database with a license from Bildupphovsrätt.
For condition report contact specialist
"Paulus bländas" (St. Paul on the road to Damascus)
Signed Carl Milles. Numbered no 1 and dated 1949. The motif conceived 1926. Foundry mark Herman Bergman Fud. Bronze, green patina. Height 101 cm.
Literature
M.P. Verneuil,m "Carl Milles, Sculpteur Suédois", 1929, II, The motif ill. Pl. 100-101.
Alfred Westholm, "Milles: en bok om Carl Milles konst", 1950, p. 56, ill. catalogue no 47.
Henrik Cornell, "Carl Milles - hans verk", SAK, 1957, The motif mentioned at p. 68-70 and listed in the artists works at p. 254 under 1926-1927.
Henrik Cornell, "Milles skönhetsvärld", 1957, nr 19, the motif ill. full page, catalogue no 19.
Erik Näslund, "Carl Milles - en biografi", 1991. The motif listed in the artist works at p. 336.
More information
The motive is St. Paul's conversion when he was hit by a powerful beam of light on his way to Damascus, dazzled and fell from the horse. The dramatic story of when he sees Christ and his Christian conversion is told in Acts of the Apostles.
Carl Milles' sculpture "St Paul on the road to Damascus" is a sketch of a never-made monument. At this time he was also working on the great well Folkungabrunnen in Linköping and the are similarities between the two. Milles worked with variants on the theme with the man on the horse. Like Folke Filbyter, "St Paul" is also characterized by a contrasting movement, here even more violent and more expressive which runs through the entire sculpture. Milles showed what a master he was at creating a moment and force. When he worked on the horse motifs in the 1920s, he borrowed features from historical equestrian depictions but did so in his own expressive way. He managed to create a strong movement and balance at the same time. The "Flying Horse" is another example where the animal and the movement itself becomes central.
The sculptor Carl Milles dominated Swedish art life for much of the 20th century. He received several orders for monumental public works of art which are located primarily in Sweden and the United States.
Artist
Carl Milles was a Swedish sculptor born in Lägga. He studied at the Technical School in Stockholm, at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Auguste Rodin and on study trips to Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. In Paris he came to stay for many years and made a living as an ornament carver. He studied the animals in the Jardin des Plantes (the Zoological Garden) and was strongly influenced by Auguste Rodin. Milles made a breakthrough with a monument to Sten Sture in Uppsala. He exhibited at the World's Fair in 1900 and was later given a solo exhibition at the Tate Gallery in London. Milles was professor of modeling at the Royal Academy of Arts in Stockholm. Well-known sculptures in public places signed by Carl Milles are the "Gustav Vasa" statue at the Nordic Museum, "Orfeusgruppen" outside the concert hall in Stockholm and the "Poseidonfontänen" in Gothenburg.
Read more